Overview

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is the UN agency dedicated to protecting the rights of the child and does a large amount of humanitarian work protecting children worldwide. Much of the agency’s work revolves around the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a UN treaty establishing certain protections for adolescents. The agency works all over the world, advocating, educating, and working on behalf of children in order to protect their rights and help to protect at-risk youth. The agency also focuses on highlighting and aiding the children whose governments are failing to uphold the rights set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is what this committee will focus on. 

Topic 1: Ending the Recruitment of Child Soldiers

The first topic is ending the practice of recruiting and employing child soldiers.  In many places, children can be radicalized and recruited as soldiers in armed conflicts, both willingly and unwillingly. Despite most countries standing firmly against this practice, child soldier recruitment has risen in the last few years, leading to a need for stronger policies against it.  This often happens in war-torn areas, where children lack security, reliable sources of food and shelter, and educational opportunities. These children suffer inhumane conditions and have no alternatives to falling down the pipeline of being a child soldier. This committee will attempt to shine a light on the plight of these children and address the many root causes that lead to this travesty, and well as the lack of enforcement by governments to prevent this illegal practice.

Topic 2: Combatting Child Malnutrition

The second topic will be addressing child malnutrition, which is defined as a deficiency, excess, or imbalance in a child's intake of energy and nutrients, potentially leading to serious health problems. Child malnutrition is a problem pretty much everywhere, stemming from an underlying problem that healthier foods are more inaccessible and expensive in many communities. The World Food Programme estimates that over a third of all children under 5 years old suffer from malnutrition every year, and millions more suffer from food insecurity. UNICEF strives to reduce this number through advocacy and aid programs to help a safe source of healthy food for these children, but it can only do so much, and the programs suffer from the unsustainable nature of aid, and the lack of access to many areas under threat. Delegates in this committee will need to think critically to attempt to address these difficult and persistent problems.

The Dais